Cooker, cooler, and the like



A. R. THOMPSON.

COOKER, COOLER, AND. THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1921.

1A@%, 1 93., Patented an. 3, 119220 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A TTORNE YS A. R. THOMPSON.

COOKER, COOLER, AND THE LIKE.

AP LICATION FILED APR. 28, 1921. Lqgg wg Patented Jan. 3, 1922a 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V E N TOR ATTORNEYS warren stares Parent clerics,

armn nrr n. rnonrrson, or sen aosn, caarronnra, assren'on roennnnsonnannenovnn, rare. co, or sana'osn, canrromrra, a conronnrron orTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residingat San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCookers, Coolers, and the like, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of machines and apparatus used in thecanning axis and ooacti'ng with the fixed rail to supand mounted in thereceptacle ends.

port the cans and efiecttheir travel in a helical path from their pointof entrance into the receptacle to their point of discharge therefrom.Examples of these machines are those known as cookers in which thecanned goods are heat-treated; "and those called coolers in which thepreviously cooked canned goods are subjected to a lower temperature tocool them.

In these machines, accepted constructive practice, in respect to thereel member of the can-track, is to provide a single shaft constitutingthe driving axis of the reel, said shaft extending the full length ofthe reel AS such machines are usually quite long and the reels occupysubstantially the entire length of the receptacle interior, it has beenfound somewhat difiicult to arrange. braces which will give the reelsufiicient rigidity, chiefly because the long,'through axis shaftpresents .an obstruction to efi'ectivebracing members.

@ne object of my present invention is to provide an eiiiciently rigidreel member of a can-track of the type mentioned, as will be hereinafterfully described.

Furthermore, in machines of this type the common practice has been tocarrythe fixed helically directed rail-member of the cantrack, upon aseries of longitudinal stringers supported in the receptacle and spacedfrom its wall. I have found, however, that a simpler construction is tobolt or rivet said rail memberdirectly to and against the wall of therece tacle in which case said receptaole must 0 course be of circularcross seccooxm, ooonan, Ann THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

Application filed April Q8, 1921: Serial No. 465,319.

' tion. But this presents a ditliculty of drainthe case of cookers,which require the inclusion within the receptacle of a steam-pipe forheating the water, the disposition of the helical rail directly againstthe receptacle wall, leaves no room for the steam pipe, which must,necessarily, be outside of the sphere of rotation of the reel member ofthe can-track.

Another object of my invention is to provide means by .which thereceptacle in which the fixed rail is disposed directly against itswall, may be fully drained and may also have a space or chamber for theinclusion of a steamrpipe. I

With these ends in view my invention consists in the novel cooker,cooler, or like machine for treating canned. goods, which ll shall nowfully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig.1is a longitudinal, broken, section,

. partly in elevation, of my improved machine "or apparatus.

will be presently mentioned. The receptacle is provlded with an inletindicated at 9 in Fig. l, and an exit, indicated at 3, for the cannedgoods which pass through it.

Within the receptacle and bolted-or riveted directly to and against itswall is the fixed rail 4. lhis rail, which is preferably of T- sectionwith its leg portion extending inwardly is helioally directed throughoutsubstantially thelength of the receptacle, and forms one member ofthecan-track. The other member of said track comprises an annular seriesof spaced rails 5, preferably of angle section,'lying and revolvingwithm the fixed helical rail 4, in such relation thereto that the cansare carried and supported between the rail 4 and rails 5, the latterbeing parallel to their axis of rotation, whereby the can path is ahelical one throughout the length of the receptacle, all as is now wellknownand common in practice. 'The ralls 5 form the periphery of a reelwhich n myr bolt to the reel-rails comprises b aces sha present improvedcross plates 6, short 8 and torsion brat; are fixed in the hubs and saidshafts jot suitable bearings l-O tacle l. ihS illust the reel, 1

said gear.

it will now short-shafts '2', 1 sectional tions, the s nally for saidareas, thus st 'lhese braces ends in three plates 6, plates crossing Toresist the t0 r i the -"ween adjacent is axis 1' the re 1. sionc strainon "a reel, I

between the plates 6, the diagonal torsion orac es 9.

The bottom of receptacle 1 is formed with a longitudinally extendingcommunicating chamber 13 of any suitable shape in cross section. Apractical way of making this chamber is to distort the receptacle wallsfrom the circular to a downward convergence as shown in Fig. 2, thusgiving it a V-shape. This chamber opens dlrectly into the interior ofthe receptacle, and the coils of the helically directed rail 4 span itswidth over its top. The ends of this chamber 13 are closed, but into oneend is fitted an inlet water pipe 14, and in its other end is a drain15, ada ted to be closed by a suitableremovable p u -Fig. 1. It will nowbe seen that, notwit standing the disposition of the fixed helical rail4 directly against the receptacle wall, all the treating water withinthe receptacle may be drained out as occasion requires.

In the case of a cooker, where a source of heat must be provided, thebottom chamber- 13, being outside of the fixed rail 4, serves as a meansfor introducing and housing a steam pipe 16.

In t is connection it should be noted, however, that in its merefunction as a housing for a steam pipe, the outlying chamber is notnecessarily at the bottom of the receptacle. It may lie along outside ofany portionof the circumference of said receptacle and be of advantageas such steam-pi e housing in connection with the prima eature ofsecuring the helical rail" direct y against the inner surface of' thereceptacle wall.

1. A machine for treating canned-goods, comprising a receptacle having acan inlet and a can exit; a fixed helically directed rail disposedwithin said receptacle, and forming one member of a can-track throughthe cans are advanced from the annular series of spaced rails fixedhelically directed rail, paraxis, and forming the other with n member ofsaid can-track; spaced cross yinrr said annular cries of rails;

plates car a short shazts mounted for rotation, one in 1 and 11' thereceptacle, said shafts prointo the receptacle and axed in ,L o J 442,565,

pi ri mecl l1 'fo a recepta exit; fizz-e 5 within said receptacle, for emember of can-track throng the cans are advanced from the inlet nit; anannular series of spaced rails in the fixed helically directed rail,with its axis, and forming the other member of said can-track; spacedcross plates carrying said annular series of rails; short shafts mountedfor rotation, one in each end of the receptacle, said shafts projectinginto the receptacle and fixed in the end cross plates; diagonal strutbraces crossing in the axial region of the annular series of spacedrails and extending their full length directly between and fitted toadjacent cross plates, and diagonal torsionbraces secured to said spacedrails between the cross plates.

3. A'machine for treating canned goods comprising a receptacle, circularin cross section'and' having a can inlet and a can exit, saidreceptaclehaving an underlying longitudinal chamber opening into it; adrain fromone end of said chamber a fixed helically directed railsecured to the receptacle wall and lying against the inner surfacethereof, said rail spannin the communication between the receptac e andits underlyingchamber, and forming one memberof a can-track throughwhich the cans are advanced through the receptacle; and a rotatableannular series of spaced mils within the fixed helically directed rail,parallel with its axis and forming the other member of aid can track.

4. A mac ine for treating canned goods comprising a receptacle, circularin cross section and havin a can inlet and a can exit, said receptac ehaving an underlying longitudinal chamber opening into it; a drain fromone end of said chamber; a fixed helically directed rail secured to thereceptacle wall and lying against the inner surface thereof sald railspanning the communication between the receptacle and its underlyingchamber, and forming one member of a can-track through which the cans lcan ose l or

are advanced through the receptacle; a ro' tatable annular series ofspaced rails within the fixed helically directed rail, parallel with itsaxis and forming the other member of said can track, and a steam pipehoused Within said underlying chamber.

5. A machine for treating canned goods comprising a receptacle, circularin cross section and having a can inlet and a can exit, said receptaclehaving a longitudinal chamber outside of its Wall and opening into it; afixed helically directed rail secured to the receptacle wall and lyingagainst the inner surface thereof, said rail forming one member of acantrack through Which the cans are advanced through the receptacle; arotatable annular series of spaced rails within the fixed helicallydirected rail, parallel with its axis and forming the other member ofsaid can-track; and a steam pipe housed Within said outside chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

